Friday Facts

Rapper Jay Z and singer Alicia Keys rocked Yankee Stadium as they performed their hit, "Empire State Of Mind" before game 2 of the World Series. Six time Grammy winner John Legend performed the "National Anthem" as well. There was a "Housewives Of Atlanta" reunion yesterday that had the ladies dishing about the next season and their relationships with one another. Rapper 50 Cent is gearing up for the release of his next project, "Before I Self Destruct" by you guessed it, attacking rapper Rick Ross once again. He's also included a Game dis track on the new release as well. Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron is set to star in the fourth installment of the "Mad Max" film enterprise. She will star in "Mad Max Fury Road". Shooting is slated to begin in August in Australia. Actor Mel Gibson starred in the first three "Mad Max" films, but is not returning to the role that made him famous. Actor Tom Hardy will take over the role. The Michael Jackson documentary, "This Is It" is set to earn millions at the box office. It has already been seen by millions of fans around the world. On the tube: "House" on Fox, "Ghost Whisperer" on CBS, "Supernanny" on ABC and "Law & Order" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Jay Z, Lil Wayne, TI and Drake were among the winners at the "BET Hip Hop Awards" on Tuesday night. Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, fiance of rapper TI, accepted the rapper's award for "Album Of The Year: Paper Trail" . Actor Mark Wahlberg and his wife, Rhea Durham are expecting their fourth child. Rapper Shyne was released from prison recently, but faces deportation back to Belize, ;where he was born, but not raised. It's likely he'll record a new album while living in Jamaica. It appears Spike Lee is not the only one who's criticized Tyler Perry for what's been called, "coonery and bafoonery" in his films and plays. Actor Bill Cosby has recently spoken out as well. Tameka Foster, wife of R & B singer Usher Raymond, told People magazine that she found out about her recent divorce from the singer over the internet. Be sure to tune in Sunday night for the season premiere of "Unsung" featuring Teena Marie. On the tube: "World Series" on Fox, "Survivor Samoa" on CBS, "Flash Forward" on ABC and "Community" on NBC. Happy
Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

The new Michael Jackson documentary, "This Is It" is in release today, and is set to break attendance records all over the world. The film shows footage of the singer in rehearsals for his 50 London concerts. From what I've seen, the singer seemed in perfect health and his voice, as he went through various numbers, seemed strong as well. Family members attended last night's premiere and seemed to enjoy it. It has to just make one wonder what could have been. It was the comback that, unfortuately, never was. As a fan of the singer since his Jackson 5 days, I'm eager to see the finished product for myself instead of a movie trailor. My only regret is that I never got an opportunity to see him perform live. My most memorable Michael Jackson moment is definitely the "Motown 25" performance. He really took things to another level on that show. I can still recall dancing in my seat as I watched at home. He was truely a one of a kind performer and will be missed.

Tuesday Tales

Grammy Award winning brother/sister gospel duo Be Be and Ce Ce Winans grace the cover of the latest issue of Jet magazine. They talk about their latest cd, "Still" and the message in their music. Be sure to tune in for the premiere of singer Monica's realtiy series, "Still Standing" on BET. The singer also has a cd with the same title due out soon as well. Writer/director/producer Spike Lee recently attacked actor/writer/director/porducer Tyler Perry for what he called coonery and bafoonery in his sitcoms and movies. Perry reponded by saying "Medea is a cross between my mother and grandmother. She smoked, walked out of the house in her curlers and watched everybody's kids. She didn't take no crap. That was in my commnity". The BET Hip Hop Awards will air tonight also. Gangster rap pioneer, Ice Cube will be honored at the event. Rick Ross, Brian Mcknight, Rod Stewart and Creed all have new releases in stores this week. On dvd: "Tinkerbell". On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on ABC and "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Monday Madness

It seems movie goers got in the Halloween spirit as they made "Paranormal Activity" the number one film this week. It grossed over 22 million dollars at the box office. "Saw 6", "Where The Wild Things Are", "Law Abiding Citizen" and "Couples Retreat" round out the top five films of the week. The New York Yankees have been blasting rapper Jay Z's "Empire State Of Mind" during the MLB playoffs. Now, the rapper is slated to perform the song, along with Alicia Keys , at the opening of Game 1 of the World Series. First actor Zach Efron left the upcoming film, "Footloose" , now director Kenny Ortega has left the project as well, due to differences with Paramount Pictures over budget and tone of the film. After coming off the Michael Jackson documentary, "This Is It", Ortega wanted to do a film with elaborately staged musical numbers, costing close to $30 million. Paramount Pictures had a edgier film in mind with less musical numbers, costing $25 million. The studio's reportedly searching for a new director and will start filming in March to coincide with Chase Crawford's hiatus from "Gossip Girl". The actor signed on after Zach Efron left the project. On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "Dancing With The Stars" on ABC and "Heroes" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

The nominees for the "Soul Train Music Awards" have been announced and Beyonce, Maxwell and Keri Hilson lead all nominations with four apiece. Other nominees include: Drake, Kanye West, Jennifer Hudson, Ryan Leslie, Robin Thicke, Keyshia Cole and Musiq Soulchild. The show will also honor the careers of Chaa Khan, Charlie Wilson, and LA Reid and Babyface. Motwon Records will also commemorate it's 50th anniversary, as well, in a musical tribute. The evening will be topped off with honoring the late Michael Jackson with the "Entertainer Of The Year" award. Set to perform are Erykah Badu, Trey Songz, Chrisette Michelle Boys To Men and Angie Stone. Terrance Howard and Taraji P. Henson will host the show, which will be aired on both Centric and BET in a special simulcast on Sunday, November 29th at 9:00 PM. Sad news. Pioneering funny man Soupy Sales has died at 83. He died Thursday at Calvary Hospice his longtime friend and manager, Dave Usher, said. He had many health problems and entered the hospice last week Usher said. Fans of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" can catch Kim Kardashian when she makes a guest appearance on the show "Brothers" tonight. In theaters this weekend: "Saw 6", "Astro Boy", "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" and "Amelia". On the tube: "Brothers" on Fox, "Ghost Whisperer" on CBS, "Supernanny" on ABC and "Law & Order" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Rapper Nelly is ready to act. He's slated to appear on an episode of "NCIS Los Angeles" soon. Singer/songwriter Trey Songs is getting into acting as well. He's slated to make a guest appearance on ABC Family's "Lincoln Heights".  The episode will air Monday evening. Actor Terrance Howard will appear in a biopic of the life of the late Rick James. No word on when shooting will begin. The CW has ordered a full season of "Vampire Diaries"  and five additional episodes of "Melrose Place". "Vampire Diaries" has become the networks breakout hit while "Melrose Place" has lagged a bit. Singer Beyonce has cancelled a concert appearance in Melashia, yet again. Be sure to catch the BET Hip Hop Awards airing on October 27. A driver rear ended a sercurity car driven by a Jackson family aid. No one was injured. On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "Survivor Samoa" on CBS, "Flash Forward" on ABC and "Community" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

Natalie Coughlin was the latest contestant booted off "Dancing With The Stars". Be sure to check out the debut of the music video of "American Idol" runnerup Adam Lambert on My Space Music. He performs the theme song for the upcoming film, "2012". Rapper Soulja Boy has called in the big guns to help with his next cd. It's been reported that he will work with Kanye West and Drake on the disc titled, "The DeAndre Way", which is slated for a fourth quarter release. It appears that rapper Method Man is not the only hip hop artist who is having problems with Uncle Sam. Rapper Nas reportedly owes the IRS $2,584,206.31 in upaid taxes for 2006 and 2007. Already in a divorce lawsuit with R&B singer Kelis, Nas was ordered to pay $55,000 per month in child support. The couple were spotted together at  the opening of a hair salon in September. He also made an appearance with Ludacris at the Heineken Red Star Soul concert Friday in New York. He's currently putting the finishing touches on the cd, "Distant Relatives", a project with Damien Marley. It seems there are more hits than misses this televison season. We'll see which shows remain on the air. On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "The New Adventures Of Old Christine" on CBS, "Hank" on ABC and "Mercy" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Tuesday Tales

Rapper-turned-pastor-turned rapper Mase is a free man.  The Bad Boy recording artist payed a surprise visit to Atlanta radio station V103,  where his former boss, Sean "Diddy" Combs was promoting his upcoming project, "Dirty Money". He brought with him a smile and his walking papers. He had paperwork that would grant him his release from his contract. This after ten years. Rapper Snoop Dog is currently in the studio working with his former mentor, rapper/producer Dr Dre on the long awaited cd, "Detox". He's also gearing up for the release of his next project, "Malice In Wonderland". Singer T-Pain is feeling some backlash in South Africa after reportedly having some local performers kicked of the stage at the Macufe African Cultural Festival. Singer Rihanna debuted her new single from her upcoming album on Ryan Seacrest's show recently. Tim McGraw and Royce Da 5'9 have new releases in stores this week. On dvd: "Transformers: The Revenge Of The Fallen" and "Blood The Last Vampire". On the tube: "MLB Playoffs" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "Shark Tank" on ABC and "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Monday Madness

The film "Where The Wild Things Are" topped the weekend box office taking in 32.5 million, exceeding expectations. "Law Abiding Citizen", "Paranormal Activity", "Couples Retreat" and "The Stepfather" round out the top five films of the week. Singer Beyonce and rapper Lady Gaga are slated to collaborate on a video for the single, "Phone Clip". Country star Garth Brooks is geared for a comback. The singer will lauch a comeback by performing some shows in Las Vegas. Country superstar Kenny Rogers is set to make a guest appearance on "How I Met Your Mother". Dave Matthews and Kenny Chesney will perform "I'm Alive" on the CMA Awards on November 11. Rapper Busta Rhymes was ordered by a judge to pay 75,000 in connection with a assault that took place in Albany NY. The victum, Alex Duncan, was severely injured during the fight. On the tube: "House" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "Dancing With The Stars" on ABC and "Heroes" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

Rapper/actress Queen Latifah is set to hit the road in support of her latest cd, "Persona".  The eighteen city tour is slated to begin on November 1 and end on November 25. Singer Leona Lewis cancelled an appearance in Germany after being attacked in London. The singer made an appearance at a book signing in London when a unidentified man punched the star on the side of the head. She was not seriously injured. Rapper Ghostface Killa of Wu Tang Clan and singer/songwriter Raheem DeVaughn are set to record an album together. They collobrated on the songs, "Baby"  and "Do Over" from, "Ghostini: The Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City". In light of the fact that the concert documentary, "This Is It" is slated to be released soon and the A & E reality series featuring the entire  Jackson family will air soon as well, Michael Jackson's mother Katherine has stated that the singer's children will not appear on televison. Sister Latoya also stated in an interview that the singer would not have liked the documentary that will be released on October 28. In theaters: "Where The Wild Things Are", "Law Abiding Citizen" and "The Stepfather". On the tube: "MLB Playoffs" on Fox, "Ghost Whisperer" on CBS, "Ugly Betty" on ABC and "Law & Order" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Wednesday Roundup

Rapper Kanye West has reportedly scrapped plans for a clothing line. No word on why. Miami rap queen Trina praised Young Money artist Nicki Minaj by telling bet.com how talented she believes the female MC is. Nicki Minaj will be featured on Trina's upcoming album "Amazin", which is slated to hit store shelves in 2010. A paradoy of rapper Jay Z's latest single, "Run This Town" has become a huge hit with fans. Listeners at New York radio station Z100 have been requesting the song consistantly since it was first aired. Hov is also a big Yankees fan. Actor Mel Gibson has a new film slated for release soon. Actor Chris Pine has been tapped to play Jack Ryan in the series based on writer Tom Clancy's novels. He will also star with Denzel Washington in "Unstoppable" directed by Tony Scott. Actress Shelley Long will make a guest apperance on the show "Modern Family" tonight on ABC. Chuck Liddell was booted off "Dancing With The Stars" last night. On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "The New Adventures Of Old Christine" on CBS, "Hank" on ABC and "Mercy" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Tuesday Tales

German supermodel Heidi Klum announced the birth of her fourth child and third with British singer husband Seal, a daughter today. Controversy is brewing over the leaked Michael Jackson song "This Is It".  It appears that co-writing credit was never given to singer/songwriter Paul Anka. He said that Jackson stole the original tapes tapes of the song from his studio, and threatened legal action against the singer's estate to secure royaly payment from the production.  The song also appears to have a sample from a single called "I Never Heard" recorded eighteen years ago by Puerto Rican R & B singer Safire and credited to both Jackson and Anka. There is talk in Hollywood of the film, "The Hangover" getting the Best Picture nod at this year's Academy Awards. Actor Marlon Wayans is set to play the late Richard Pryor in a biopic about the late comedian's life. Actor/comedian Eddie Murphy was the first choice for the role but left due to conflicts with the projects original studio, Paramount. The film is set to begin shooting in the spring. Mario and DJ Khaled have new releases in stores. On dvd: 'Kat Williams: Pimpadelic", "Drag Me To Hell" and "The Proposal". On the tube: "Hell's Kitchen" on Fox, "NCIS" on CBS, "Shark Tank" on ABC, and "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. Happy Tuesday!

Monday Madness

Universial Picture's "Couple's Retreat" topped the weekend box office taking in over 35.3 million dollars. "Zombieland", "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs", "Toy Story" and "Paranormal Activity" round out the top five films of the week. Hip hop's finest turned out for the "BET Hip Hop Awards. Among the winners were: Jay Z, Drake and Ice Cube. NBC has confirmed that actress Lauren Graham will join the cast of it's upcoming series, "Parenthood". She will be stepping in as a replacement for Maura Tierney who was diagnosed with breast cancer and continues to get treatment. A associate of rapper 50 Cent and G Unit was shot and killed in the Bronx. Lahmand Fletcher was found by police. No arrest has been made. Be sure to check out actor/singer Jamie Fox's latest film, "Law Abiding Citzen" when it's released October 16. On the tube: "House" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "Dancing With The Stars" on ABC and "Heroes" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

Actors Terrance Howard and Taraji Henson are slated to host the Soul Train Music Awards, to be aired on November 3 on cable network Centric. Actor/comedian Jamie Fox is set to hit the road on a 50 city tour in support of his latest cd, "Intuition". Actor/comedian Chris Rock has been given the green light to release his latest film, "Good Hair" by a judge. Regina Kimble filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the comedian, stating that she had shown him a copy of her film, "My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hairitage" while on the set of "Everybody Hates Chris". Her documentary features black entertainers discussing popular hairstyles over the years like, jeri curls and dread locks. She was seeking 5 million dollars in damages and legal fees from Rock. Rapper Jay Z was recently named the "Hottest MC In The Game" by MTV. Singer Jennifer Hudson has released a photo of her adorable new son. In theaters this weekend: "Couples Retreat". On the tube: "Brothers" on Fox, "Ghost Whisperer" on CBS, "Flash Forward" on ABC and "Law & Order" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Actor/comedian Chris Rock is being suied by Regina Kimble for copyright infringement.  She claims Rock's latest film, "Good Hair" ripped off her idea for a simular film. She's asking for 5 million dollars in damages. The Neptunes have added a female singer to the lineup. Pharrell Williams confirmed the addition of Rhea, a Toronto native for the group's upcoming album. Actor Heath Ledger's final film will be released soon. The Michael Jackson documentary, "This Is It" has been named the best selling concert film of all time, according to a spokesperson for Fandango.com. Ratings for "The Late Show With David Letterman" have risen since the talk show host admitted to several affairs with female staff members.  Rapper 50 Cent responded to a Tweet by rapper Fabulous regarding his recent all star benefit concert, by saying, "I thought we were friends. That's cool". On the tube: "Bones"on Fox, "Survivor Samoa" on CBS, "Grey's Anatomy"on ABC and "Community" on NBC. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday Roundup

Rapper Method Man was recently hauled into court for failure to pay income taxes from 2004-2007. If convicted he faces up to four years in prision. The rapper blames his problems on, of all things, weed.  Rapper Jim Jones pleaded guilty to assaulting singer Ne-Yo's business associate outside a Louis Vuitton store in Manhattan, NY last December. Jones served an undisclosed amount of time behind bars after turning himself in to authorities in January 2009. In more hip hop news, rapper Shyne was recently released from prision after serving eight years for a 1999 shooting that occurred at New York City club, Club New York. Former congressman Tom Delay has left "Dancing With The Stars" due to an injury. Actress Debi Mazar is leaving the show as well. Rapper/actress Queen Latifah recently spoke of her concern that female mc's are in danger of becoming extinct in USA Today. Her first hip hop cd in a decade, "Persona" hit stores recently. Fat Joe, Saigon, The Backstreet Boys, Luke Brown and BeBe and CeCe Winans all have new music in stores. On dvd: "Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs" and "Chinatown". On the tube: "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, "New Adventures Of Old Christine" on CBS, "Hank" on ABC and "Mercy" on NBC. Happy hump day!

Monday Madness

The film "Zombieland" topped the weekend box office taking in over 25 million dollars. "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs", "Toy Story", "The Invention Of Lying" and "Surrogates" round out the top five films of the week. Sad news. The fiance of "Housewives Of Atlanta" star Kandi Burruss was killed outside a Atlanta strip club. Ashley Jewell died of head injuries suffered in the altercation. A suspect has been arrestted in the case. "The View" chatterbox Sherri Shepard has a hit on her hands with her new reality series. Rapper Lil Wayne praised rapper Jay Z's latest effort during a radio interview recently. Rock act U2 is selling out dates all over the country and the band's latest cd has sold over one million copies. On the tube: "House" on Fox, "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS, "Dancing With The Stars" on ABC and "Heroes" on NBC. Happy Monday!

Friday Facts

Late night talk show host David Letterman confessed to his audience last night to affairs with female staff members and of a plot to extort  2 million dollars from the comedian. Rapper DMX will, according to gossip blog TMZ, fight against Eric Marinez in a celebrity match to take place during an Alabama Pride Mixed Martial Arts event scheduled for December 12. Per the rapper's rep, he's been eating right, working out and looking forward to having some fun. Rapper Ghostface Killa recently performed at a New York City night spot to promote his latest cd. He performed some classic solo numbers and veruses from classic Wu Tang albums as well. Actor George Clooney is gearing up for the release of his latest film, "Up In The Air". It has an interesting trailer. The late Patrick Swayze's autobiography, "The Time Of My Life" is selling well, according to Amazon. In theaters: "Capitalism: A Love Story", "The Invention Of Lying", "Toy Story & Toy Story 2", "Whip It" and "Zombieland". On the tube: "Brothers" on Fox, "Ghost Whisperer" on CBS, "Flash Forward" on ABC and "Law & Order" on NBC. Make it a weekend!

Thursday Dish

Rapper/producer Sean "Didd" Combs has inked a new distribution deal for his Bad Boy Entertainment with Interscope Records. Under the new deal new projects will be distributed by Interscope and any new artists he decides to sign to his label will be housed there as well. Congradulations to actor Will Farrell and his wife are in order. The two are expecting their third child soon. They already have two sons. Now that he's no longer on the hit reality show  "Jon & Kate Plus Eight", Jon Gosselin is taking legal steps to bar TLC from filming in the couples home. Rapper 50 Cent recently gave people a scare when the rapper was sent to the hospital. It turned out the rapper unleashed yet another attack on rapper Fat Joe by saying listening to the artists's latest cd made him ill. The film "Law Abiding Citizen" starring Jamie Fox will be released soon. Be sure to check it out. On the tube: "Bones" on Fox, "Survivor: Samoa" on CBS, "Flash Forward" on ABC and "Saturday Night Live The Weekend Update" on NBC. Happy Thursday!